The tortoise on the left is Factory (formerly known as Cincinnati). She's about 15 years old and was brought to me on 8/3/10 by a teacher in Cincinnati. She went back to school after the week-end and found a box in front of her door containing a tortoise and several green apples. She knew she couldn't provide the kind of home the tortoise required, and looked up "rescues" on the 'net. Finding mine, she decided to bring the tortoise to me.
She and her fiance DROVE from Ohio to Clovis at the start of her summer vacation. The tortoise is a little misshapen, not exactly the prettiest tortoise you've ever seen, but is healthy and active and provides me with three or four clutches of viable eggs every year.
Normally I don't keep rescues. I've adopted out many leopard tortoises over the years, but something about this tortoise told me she needed to stay here and live.
There is also an older female leopard living here. During the past eight years, since Factory has lived here, the other female has provided me with THREE clutches of eggs, only one of which ever had any hatch.
After she had lived here for about three years, Factory started laying eggs. Since that time, she has faithfully given me at least three clutches a year, and many of the eggs in each clutch hatch.
Last March she deposited 6 eggs in a nest. Three of them ended up being clear. Then in April, she deposited 14 eggs. Today the last of those 14 hatched - 100% hatch rate out of that clutch!
The male I have is the very first leopard egg I ever hatched. I kept him because he was the first. He's not pretty. Very pyramided and stunted. So, I have 1.2 leopards. Most of the leopard babies that Will sells for us are from Factory and Bumpy. They really get the job done!
